Page 71 of Vow To The Devil

Dare and I tiptoe out of the room, careful not to wake her. Once we're in the hall, he pulls me into his arms with a ragged sigh.

Dare clutches me tightly, and I feel the tremors running through his body as he struggles not to cry. We stand there in the empty hall, holding each other, and for the first time I realize that maybe Dare's childhood wounds run even deeper than I imagined.

ChapterThirty-One

TALIA

The burned husk of Hope House looms over me like a corpse still strung up by a noose.

The acrid smell of smoke still lingers in the air. I peek through the window at the charred remains of what was once a warm, loving home for children in need. Now there is only devastation here. Collapsed walls, piles of ash where there were once beds and toys, floors made unstable by the roaring fire that swept through the entire house.

How is it that this place, once so sacred to me, is now just an incinerated ruin?

Something drips on my dress. I look up and there is nothing but blue sky above me. Then I touch my face with two gentle fingertips. When I pull my hand away, my fingertips glisten.

I'm crying over this house. Over what it meant to me. How could such a sacred place just simply burn to the ground?

Exhaling a deep breath, I wipe my face and move away from the burned husk of the building.

When I round a corner, I see my husband heading my way. He has a very determined look on his face, as if he has decided something. I slow my steps, take a deep breath, and use my hands to take some of the weight of my burgeoning stomach off my back.

"Talia," Dare says, striding towards me, "I have a plan."

I eye him warily. "What kind of plan?"

"I'm going to move the kids to a hotel for now."

I narrow my eyes. "Which hotel?"

"The Windsor. The manager there loves me, or at least he loves my repeat business. So I assume he will let us rent all the rooms that they have available."

I shake my head, anxiety rising. "Dare, that's far too expensive. Why don't we try a budget hotel?"

"Nonsense." His tone brokers no argument. "The children need stability and care right now. I've already called a nanny agency and a social worker. This is happening, Talia. I won't take no for an answer."

Seeing the stubborn set of his shoulders, I know not to fight him on this. Dare Morgan is a man accustomed to getting his way. With a cautious sigh, I nod.

Dare makes a call to Aunt Minnie, who is with the children at the hospital. I can't hear her end of the conversation, but she quickly agrees to round the Hope House children up and deliver them to the hotel.

After a short drive, we pull up to the imposing edifice of the Windsor Hotel. The grand lobby of the Windsor Hotel is a world away from the cramped dormitories at Hope House. Crystal chandeliers drip from ornate ceilings, illuminating marble floors that stretch on for acres. As we enter with the children in tow, the opulence is overwhelming.

The staff eyes our ragged group with unveiled disdain. A bellhop's nose wrinkles at a child's runny nose. The front desk clerk grimaces as a toddler's shriek echoes off the cavernous walls. Their judgmental glares follow us as we shuffle to the check-in counter.

As Dare strides to the front desk, the concierge's eyes widen in alarm at the sight of the bandaged children trailing uncertainly behind us. Aunt Minnie is right behind them, telling them to make themselves comfortable wherever they want.

"You can have some if you want," I hear her telling a child who is licking his lips at the sight of a table piled high with cookies and other baked treats.

"Solana," I call out. Solana sees me, grins widely, and runs to hug my legs. I feather her hair with my fingers. "Hey there."

"You came!" She squeezes me so hard that I flinch.

"Be gentle," I caution her. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

She looks at me worshipfully. "Ms. Minnie says I am a great healer."

I can't do anything but smile at her and touch her nose playfully with a fingertip.

"Let's go see what Dare is up to," I suggest.

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